Shiver
by DarkHeianPrincess
Summary: Sephiroth goes to Tifa intending to kill her, but a slight delay in plans leads him to realize feelings he never knew he had.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. I wrote this thing in 7 hours. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy this weird little number.**

* * *

 **SHIVER**

 **Part I**

An icy chill swept through the air as Tifa watched Cloud speed away. She felt a nagging in her gut as his tail light disappeared. There was something not right in the air and she'd begged him to stay home that day and begin his trip later. But Cloud had insisted that the sooner he left, the sooner he would return and that the items he was due to deliver couldn't wait anyway. She gulped down the hard lump in her throat, sweeping away the goosebumps prickling her skin.

The bar was closed that day and the children were staying with friends for the weekend. Tifa would spend the day alone in an empty building…alone with that wrong feeling swirling in her stomach. So she decided that going grocery shopping was better than moping around, at least being around other people would lessen the anxiety she was feeling.

Sadly, she was wrong. As she meandered through the people walking up and down the streets, Tifa felt eyes on her. She glanced around looking for who might be spying, but as she scanned over the passersby, she found everyone was seemingly minding their own business. But as the day wore on and she went from shop to shop, she realized the feeling was growing. It was impossible to shake off, the feeling of being watched…of being hunted.

She very nearly ran home, bursting in the door and dropping her bags on the floor as she slammed it shut and hurriedly locked it. Looking around, she found nothing out of the ordinary, but the uneasiness never faltered.

Even as she put away her groceries, Tifa couldn't help looking over her shoulder. She was alone, she knew she was alone, but yet she could something. It was an aura she was familiar with and she wasn't sure if she was relieved that she recognized it or not. But it couldn't be, there was no way that was true. And if it was, would she able to face him alone?

"No…it can't be. I'm probably just tired." She assured herself, opting to turn in early that evening.

As she began undressing she still felt eyes on her. The goosebumps returned and her heart pounded as she jumped in bed, drawing the sheets up over her head. After tossing and turning for almost an hour, she eventually fell asleep.

* * *

He had been watching her all day, even before she woke that morning. He'd had ample opportunity to strike, but held himself back, enjoying the anticipation. He entered the window, stepping into her bedroom soundlessly.

Sword drawn, Sephiroth approached Tifa's bedside. This would be the perfect way for Cloud to find her. In bed, where one should feel most safe…and dead. The flower girl was only the first; this woman would be the second.

Sephiroth truly cherished the thought of slowly stripping away everything Cloud loved. He would take one, let Cloud's heart heal, and when he truly smiled again, Sephiroth would strike once more. It would be so much more fun and brutal than taking them all at once.

Sephiroth gently rolled Tifa onto her back, slowly easing the covers down and off of her. She didn't move, her breath didn't even catch. Tifa continued to sleep, completely unaware that her life was mere seconds from ending.

Raising his sword, Sephiroth's blood began to rush throughout his body. The feeling he got when he was about to kill was a high he would ride for days; the only thing that would make this better is if she would look him in the eye when he did it. One thing that truly got him off was watching the light fade from his victim's eyes. He didn't get that chance with Aerith, so perhaps he could have it with Tifa.

Lowering his blade, he contemplated how to wake her; she would surely fight him if he did. Looking up and down her body, he considered for the first time in years that he'd been celibate for far too long. Killing was enough, the feeling was almost better than sex, but still there was something to be said about the taste, smell, and feel of a woman.

A twisted grin took his lips. What harm would there be in a little fun? She'll be dead soon anyhow. It had been years since he'd known a woman, but what did it matter? He wasn't out to please her, only himself. He licked his lips as he watched her steady breathing. Did she always sleep naked or was he just lucky? The truth was that Tifa was so unnerved she didn't even take the time to put on her nightclothes.

Sephiroth placed his sword on the floor, and slowly removed his armor with ghostly silence. Once he was naked, he went around to the opposite side of the bed and climbed in with her. She still didn't wake. Gently wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest, feeling her softness and her warmth. Dipping his head down into her neck, he breathed in the smell of her, gingerly letting his tongue slide from his mouth and stroke up her throat. She tasted as good as she smelled and it sent a spark racing under his skin.

Deciding he wanted this to last, he slowly began to place small kisses on her neck and chest, softly trailing his hand across her body. He stroked her soft, shaven mound, tracing his finger up her slit. Slowly, purposefully, he slid two of his fingers into her. As he caressed her, he claimed her mouth in a harsh, possessive kiss.

Tifa's eyes flashed open. At first she couldn't react, but as she realized what was happening she began to struggle. His grip on her tightened as she fought against him, screaming into his mouth as he forced himself on top of her. Breaking the kiss, Sephiroth suffered her screaming for only a moment before he covered her mouth with his hand.

"Stop your crying," He whispered, looking to her frightened eyes, "I will have you whether you fight me or not. And yes, when I am done you will die…So don't think that giving in will give you a chance at survival. But you have two options: you can fight and make this harder for the both of us, and die a painful death...Or you can let me take my pleasure from you, and be given a merciful death."

 _So the choice is death or death…If I fight, I would go down with my conscience intact, but if I give in I might not suffer for too long. Oh Cloud, you big idiot! Why'd you have to go off and leave me when I begged you to stay!_

Tifa closed her eyes; she couldn't stomach his face anymore. He was the very essence of her nightmares, and his very touch sent her nerves into panic.

"Let me have this…" He all but begged as he slid between her legs, entering her with a heavy thrust.

Her body arched, and her legs wrapped around his hips on reflex. She moaned into his hand, though she wasn't sure if she enjoyed what she felt or not. As Sephiroth began to pump her, she couldn't deny how good his body felt.

Just like him, she'd been long without it. Despite what anyone might have thought, Tifa and Cloud were not lovers…even if she wished they were. There was one drunken night when they did in fact climb in bed together, but as luck would have it, they fell asleep before anything could happen. The next morning they apologized to each other and swept it under the rug.

So this feeling…the feeling of having a man inside of her…was more than welcome. He wasn't the man she wanted, but in one hazy moment, he might have been the man she needed. He cared nothing for her and was about to murder her when he was done, but as he rocked his hips against her anxious body, he awakened that long buried lust from within her.

Tifa's mind and body were at war. Her rational thought screamed at her to fight and hope for a chance at survival, but her body reacted to his so naturally, melding against him as if he was made for her. She met his careful, patient cadence and found the nerve to open her eyes once more.

As she searched for any true emotion in his stone face, she began to consider a third option. She would to let him enjoy himself – and then survive this encounter.

 _He will kill me when he's done. But what if he's too tired to do it right away?_

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed against his hand as she pulled his head down for another kiss. Cautiously, Sephiroth removed his hand from her mouth, waiting for her to start screaming or issuing empty threats. But neither happened.

"I'll let you enjoy me if I can enjoy you…" She whispered against his lips.

His green eyes lit up and he froze. So there was some emotion in him…perhaps she could appeal to it.

"I want this." She said honestly, keeping her breathing steady. "Give me everything you've got. Anything you want, any position…oral, anal, I'll do it all."

Sephiroth kept calm and attempt not to behave too shocked. He had braced himself for a fight, but now she may as well have sucker punched him.

"You're brave, Tifa." He said, maintaining his composure. "I admire that. But no matter how you accommodate me, you'll still die when this is over."

"I'm not bartering for my life, Sephiroth." She raked her nailed down his rock hard chest, "I just want my last moments on earth to be my best moments."

For the first time, Sephiroth was speechless.

His heart suddenly began pounding in his chest and his stomach tightened into knots. What was this feeling? His hands trembled as he stroked back her hair from her face. He honestly didn't know what to think. This was an eccentric but fascinating woman he held in his arms. And to think, he very nearly killed her without having seen it. What strange luck.

The amazing squeeze of her body brought his thoughts back to the moment. He let out a breathy gasp as she continued to tighten around him, coaxing him to continue where he left off. As she submitted to him, he felt the change in not only her body, but her demeanor as well.

As he thrust into her, a shiver ran down his spine and he arched his body as a delicate moan escaped his lips. Tifa ran her nails down his chest and back, leaving white trails in their wake. Each time she did, he closed his eyes and arched into her.

She leaned up and met him for another kiss, loving the taste and feel of his lips. Her body quivered as she began to mount to orgasm. Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, she rode the intense feeling until she could no longer keep quiet and broke away from him to scream out her release. The powerful fluttering of her tiny body sent him toward his own climax. He dug his nails into her hips and slammed her into him as he buried his face in her hair, roaring out his pleasure.

Collapsing against her, he remained still, enjoying the feel of her heavily beating heart. Too bad it will stop soon. Raising up again, he looked at her face. She was beautiful, in an ordinary sort of way. There were a million girls just like her, she wasn't exactly special. But there was something striking about the way she looked at him, in the way she regarded him.

 _This isn't over._ She pushed him onto his back and straddled his thigh. She rubbed herself against his smooth leg, taking his lifeless cock in her hand, she stroked him in time with her movements. Sephiroth's mouth curled up in a soft smile, and he sighed contentedly as she brought him back to attention.

He expected her to mount and ride him, but what she did was so much better. Leaving his leg, Tifa crawled up to his head and sat on his face. She waited until she felt his tongue begin to work on her before she leaned down to service his perfect cock. Dragging her tongue up his shaft, sticky with her own juices, she was delighted to feel him buck his hips and suck for eagerly upon her aching clit.

 _I've got to tire him out_. She took him completely into her mouth, sucking him harder and harder until she felt him getting close. She stopped, sitting up and getting off of him.

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked. Tifa noted the disappointment in his voice and the mild concern in his eyes.

"Let's try something else." She offered a playful smile, jumping off the bed. "Come get me!" She ran out the door. Sephiroth was after her in seconds, chasing her down to the bar with his sword in hand. If she was about to try something, he would be ready.

Once he'd made it into the dim, quiet bar, he was surprised to find Tifa pouring a couple of drinks.

"What are you doing?" He asked, raising his sword to her throat.

She remained perfectly calm as the cold steel kissed her skin. Controlling her breathing, she carefully continued to prepare the drinks as he slid the point of his sword from her collarbone down to the soft spot between her breasts. It left a crimson trail in its wake, but despite the sting, Tifa refused to let him know that she was even the slightest bit afraid of him.

Narrowing his eyes at his unforeseeably strong prey, Sephiroth used the blunt edge of his sword to turn her face toward him. She looked up at him from under her thick eyelashes and she smiled as she offered him a glass.

"Have a drink," She said too casually.

"I don't drink."

"Well, maybe you should start." She sat up on the bar and spread her legs apart, placing his glass between them right against her hot pussy. She grinned again and sipped from her own glass before switching them out and sipping from his to prove that she hadn't poisoned them. "You know you want it."

Sephiroth laid his sword down on a nearby table, taking the glass from between her lovely thighs. He smelled the mix before sipping, it was heavy with alcohol, and the glass now smelled of her scent.

"Who are you, Tifa?" He asked as he placed the empty glass aside, moving between her legs once again.

"I'm nobody." She said, "Except a lonely woman about to die."

"Lonely?" He watched the trail of blood run town toward her navel. Bending down, he licked her skin clean. "Does Cloud not give you attention?"

"What do you care?" She hung her arms over his shoulders.

"I'm curious. Does he not love you?" He gently took her hips in his hands.

"No. We live together, that's all."

He listened to her voice, noting the inflection and the solemn tone. She was telling the truth.

"Do you want him to love you?"

"I did, but it doesn't matter now does it? You're gonna kill me soon, so wishing for something to happen isn't doing much for my last moments alive."

"You…" He was at a loss again. No one has ever behaved like this before. No one has ever met their fate so easily, with such sincerity and resolve. "…You're…"

 _You're an amazing woman._

Sephiroth's heart sprang back to life and his stomach knotted once more. He leaned in and caught her lips again. This kiss was different from before, it was softer, kinder, like he was taking pity on her. It was the kind of kiss she'd always hoped Cloud would give her. His lips pecked slowly and gently at hers, and his hands followed in kind, slowly trailing up her sides and across her back to her front and back down again.

Tifa heart raced and she was left breathless as he pulled away from her. When their eyes met again, Sephiroth's brow was knitted and he seemed to be struggling with something to say or do.

"Do you want another drink?" She offered. _Please say yes, I need you drunk…_

"No."

Her heart sank. Taking his sword from the table, Tifa fought to keep composed as he faced her again. But as he approached her, he instead lowered the blade away from her and lifted her into his arms. Unsure of what to think or do, Tifa let him carry her back to her bedroom.

Once they'd returned to her room, Sephiroth dropped the sword again as he placed her upon her bed. He pushed her down until she lie flat and looked all across her body. Again he considered her face and her figure, looking for something to set her apart from any other woman. She looked so ordinary, so why when he looked at her did she seem so _extraordinary_?

He found himself with no answer, except with the feeling that he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted a woman in his life.

Mounting her again, he wrapped his arms around her in an almost protective embrace, bringing her in close as he kissed her once more. He couldn't get enough of those lips, of that strange connection he felt when he touched her.

As she closed her eyes and relaxed into his arms, she felt a peculiar softness spread across her skin. Snapping her eyes open, Tifa gasped at his wing as it wrapped around her, creating a barrier between them and the world. She gazed questioningly into his eyes and he only nuzzled her cheek before burying his face in her hair.

"Oh yes…" She sighed as he slid himself back into the soft silky folds of her body.

He moved carefully and purposefully slow, being sure to feel every part of her softness as he could. He wanted to commit the very experience of her to memory. This would be the first and the last time he would ever touch her, and he wanted to carry this moment with him for the rest of time.

 _But why? What have you done to me?_ He'd never felt this way about anyone before.

"Tifa…" Her name felt so right as it slipped so fluidly from his tongue. And when she responded with his own name, her voice was the only voice he ever wanted to hear say it.

"Tifa," He felt himself rising toward his climax, the anticipation of filling her again satisfying him to end, "I want you to come with me."

"Oh yeah…I'm gonna come…" She moaned, her body arching into his.

"No…that's…not what I meant…" He lost hold on himself, and the greatest eruption of pleasure spread throughout his body. His muscles tightened and his body became rigid as he shot his load into her again and again.

He pinned her tightly to his chest, his face hidden in her neck as he continued to shiver. His muscles were so tense she wondered if he was going to ever move again. That was good though; this meant that he was probably going to be left completely drained.

As his last jet of semen expelled from his body, he released her, letting her fall back on the bed in a satisfied heap. He continued to stare at her, his chest heaving with each labored breath. The longer he stared, the harder his heart pounded. He was becoming less and less in control of himself and all this woman had to do was look into his eyes to make him lose it.

"It's time." He whispered, slowly rising from her. On trembling legs, he retrieved his clothes from the pile on the floor.

Tifa sat up on the edge of the bed. Her heart was in her throat. It didn't work out the way she wanted it to. She wanted him tired, she wanted him drunk, and she wanted him unable to think. It was the only way she would survive the night. But he was none of those things, not even close. He was awake, sober, and clear. And a sword was in his hand.

Releasing a sorrowful sigh from deep in her chest, she accepted that she was powerless against him. Her gloves were on the dresser across the room and if she tried to reach them, Sephiroth would just cut her down as she tried.

But if she tried to fight, he promised she would die painfully. But since she'd acquiesced to his demand, she'd already won a merciful death.

"Can I make a request?" She counted the remaining beats of her heart.

"And that is?"

"Can I be your last victim?"

"What?"

"I want to die knowing my death ensured the lives of the people I love."

"So you're asking that I spare the lives of your friends and family."

"Yes, please." She shut her eyes as tears welled within them. "They've suffered enough."

"I won't make that promise." He said simply, holding his sword at the ready.

Tifa's tears streamed down her face, "At least spare my children. They've done you no wrong."

 _She's a mother?_ Sephiroth faltered, but Tifa did not see him hesitate. Instead she felt to her knees, lowering her head as she thought about the people she loved.

Sephiroth continued to watch her, the heaviness in his heart and in his stomach tearing at him. At length he lifted Tifa from the floor and put her back on her feet.

"What are you doing?" She began to panic.

"I'm not going to kill you…not yet at least."

"But why?"

"I don't know." It was an honest reply, "You did something to me, and I'm not sure what."

"I don't understand."

Sephiroth shook his head, "You leave me breathless…I can't place why." He remained silent for a moment. "But I do know that I want to see you again."

"Really?" She took a step back from him, unsure of where he was going with this.

"I will come back eventually, and when I do, we will be together this way once more."

"So you want to have sex again?"

"With you, yes."

She shivered at the thought, "But I don't want to do this again…I didn't want to do it tonight."

"That's not for you to decide. When I return I will have you and I will have you until I am satisfied."

"When you've grown bored of me?" She wrung her hands together.

"When you no longer entertain me, that is when I will kill you."

He left her and swiftly and silently as when he came. But he did not fly far. He continued to watch her as she fought to gather her thoughts and emotions. She paced back and forth, struggling to wrap her head around the events of the night. She went back and forth with crying and laughing, unsure of exactly what to feel. Soon, as the sun threatened to rise, she found her way back to bed and she fell into a restless sleep.

Sephiroth watched her for a while longer, replaying the night over again in his mind. He searched for that moment when everything changed, when he decided unconsciously that he no longer wanted to kill her. He cataloged it all into his memory, filing through with scientific scrutiny for the reason why he suddenly confessed that he wanted her to come with him.

"I wanted you to come _away_ with me. That's what I meant to say."


	2. Chapter 2

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Omg, I couldn't leave it alone. I'm such a sucker for this pairing! XD**

* * *

 **SHIVER**

 **Part II**

Tifa couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to sleep for days. Knowing that Sephiroth would return left her beyond able to relax.

Staring up at the ceiling, she dropped her head into her hand. It had been a week and she'd been trying to go about as if nothing happened. A part of her wanted to think it was nothing more than a bad dream, but…

She pulled down the collar of her nightshirt to see the cut on her chest. It still stung and itched, hurting more now than it did when he first cut her. No amount of ointments or even a healing materia or potion banished it. She'd been careful to wear high collared t-shirts and blouses for fear that Cloud would notice.

Thankfully, she'd been able to put on a smile for her friends and family. Nobody suspected a thing and she was both proud and ashamed. She should tell someone – she should tell Cloud.

"No! No…no…" She whimpered, "I can't…He would go ballistic…he'd never let me out of his sight, he'd never let me be alone…"

Was that really so bad? She'd always wanted Cloud's attention, and telling him what Sephiroth had done would certainly get her what she wanted. But…she didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to protect her, she didn't want to sacrifice her brief moments of peace and most of all, a part of her…The deepest darkest part of her…Was hoping Sephiroth would come back sooner rather than later.

She couldn't tell Cloud because she had liked it.

Tifa bit her lip and slammed her fist into the mattress. She so wanted to just kill herself. How could she have actually enjoyed being with that monster? Sephiroth was the last man she ever considered as a partner. No, she hadn't considered him at all. He was never even a contender. But now she was kept awake at night thinking of the way he felt, the sound of his voice, his smell, his taste…Even during the day he crept into her thoughts, her body would quiver and her core would throb mercilessly.

She was kept awake not because she feared him, but because she was eager for more.

"Is he controlling my thoughts?" She muttered as a shiver took her body. "Is he consciously manipulating me into wanting him?"

She told him she didn't want to do it again and at the time she'd meant it, but now as the echo of that night prickled her skin with goosebumps, she was sure she would welcome him again.

But why? He wasn't really that good of a lover nor did he really do much. He seemed…how could she put it? Out of practice? It was like he knew what to do because he'd done it before, but was really just going through the motions, and not putting forth that much effort. But then she didn't really either.

Of course she didn't! She didn't want it…at the time.

Also, he was creepy looking – with the hair and the eyes – not to mention homicidal, genocidal, psychopathic and sociopathic. He has a good body though…

"Bat shit." She said frankly. "Complete and total bat shit. Him and me both. He's crazy and so am I for wanting his dick…"

She rolled over, cuddling her pillow and folding the sheets around her tightly. Shutting her eyes, she did her best to shake away the troublesome thoughts. As sleep slowly rolled in, Tifa felt a peculiar warmth beside her. Opening her eyes, her heart slammed her chest and her breath rushed out of her lungs.

His hand found its way over her mouth and his arm pinned her against his chest, holding her thus until she calmed.

Tifa's heart was still hammering away at her, but she found her breath and concentrated on it.

"Do not scream." He commanded quietly as he released her mouth.

"You came back." She put that mask back on, trying to appear strong.

"Did you think I'd lied?"

"No." She took a deep breath in through her nose and released it slowly through her mouth. "I just thought you might have changed your mind."

"Once I know I want something, I almost always get it."

"What if I don't please you tonight?"

"Then you'll die tonight. So if I were you, I would make sure to do my best."

"Right…" Tifa curled a lock of his hair around her finger.

 _I suppose it's kind of a pretty color._

"So, let's do this." She said a little too casually.

Wriggling out of his arms – only because he allowed her to – she stood up and began undressing.

Sephiroth rolled back into the pillows, taking himself in his hand as he watched her. She was going slowly for his viewing pleasure.

Tifa blushed brightly when she turned to find that he was stroking his cock. Taking the initiative, Tifa placed her trembling hands on her own skin, sliding them around her body. She made sure to touch herself in all the right places, gyrating her hips to the beat of her heart.

Her skin flushed and despite the warmth, goosebumps prickled all over her. She'd never done this before, so she wasn't sure if she was doing it right. As she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed his half-lidded gaze, his heaving chest, and the steady pumping of his hand.

 _He likes it!_

Her confidence improved, Tifa strode up to the bed, lifting her leg as she gently rubbed a single finger against her clit. She hissed out a breath as she watched him watching her. It was a strange feeling she couldn't quite place, but it was so good.

"Come here," Sephiroth said as he raked his fingers gently up her leg.

Tifa crawled toward him, stopping only when he took her hips and dragged her on top of him. She slid easily onto his thick cock and immediately began to move on him, picking up her erotic dance once again.

A slight grin raised the corner of Sephiroth's mouth and he slid his hands up her body to her breasts. He'd neglected to admire them before, but this time he wouldn't forget. They were large and pert, and soft…oh so soft!

Sitting up, wrapped his arms around her before taking one of her rosy nipples into his mouth. Her breath hitched and her hands knotted into his hair. The feeling of his softly flicking tongue sent shivers racing across her skin. Her pussy throbbed harder and she fought to keep her mouth shut.

 _I can't let anyone hear us…_

Sephiroth rolled them over, hooking his hands under her knees and spreading her legs as far as they would go, trying to get as deep inside her as he could manage. She was so tight and so wet! He rammed her harder and harder, unable to get enough of her. She was so soft! So delicious! And despite what he thought before, she was so beautiful!

 _Yes…you can live tonight…Tifa…_

He gnashed his teeth together as he spilled inside of her. Arching his back and bearing down on her, he shivered as he let himself go. She sighed softly behind tightly pursed lips, and her tense legs relaxed and became limp. She was still spasming around his slightly engorged member and each feather light squeeze caused him to gasp.

Looking down into her blushing face, Sephiroth hoped to meet her eyes as he pushed her hair from her sticky forehead. She opened her eyes only half way, almost too tired to do even that much. She was struggling to catch her breath and he felt her heart thundering through her chest.

Tifa's lips curled into a contented smile as she met his gaze. He looked a little different but she couldn't place exactly how or why.

"How did I do?" She whispered, exhaling heavily.

Sephiroth didn't know what to say. He really didn't expect that she'd go through with it again. He thought she would fight this time; Cloud was home, so he thought she would cry out and they would cross swords once again.

But she didn't. Instead she was the one to start and she didn't behave like she was acting. This time, she genuinely seemed like she enjoyed herself.

For some reason he couldn't explain, Sephiroth felt fulfilled. Knowing that he had pleased her only brought him more pleasure. Leaning down, he planted a soft kiss on her lips. It was delicate as first, barely touching her, but the longer they held each other in their arms, the deeper it became. Slowly, he leaned into her, assessing how his heart began to pound. This was different from the way it beat before, now it was throbbing with a unique sort of fervor. His stomach twisted into knots and he couldn't stand the thought of breaking away from her. But he had to; she needed to breathe. Letting her go, he released a soft hiss in her ear.

"Satisfactory." He said simply, before withdrawing from her.

Tifa frowned. That wasn't exactly the response she was hoping for. But what was she hoping for? She sat up and drew her knees up to her chest as she watched him get dressed.

"When will you come back?"

Sephiroth paused, looking over his shoulder at her. What was she thinking?

"When it pleases me." He picked up his sword and turned it so the moonlight glanced off of it. The light reflected a narrow line across Tifa's neck and chest. "It won't heal you know."

Tifa unconsciously placed a hand over the cut on her chest.

"It'll always be there, to remind you. Until next time."

And, like a ghost, he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Another week passed and Tifa remained silent about her secret deal with Sephiroth. It was a dangerous game she played, but as terrible as it was, she couldn't help but find it thrilling. She supposed the excitement was something she lacked in her life. For the past few years since the incident with the meteor, her life had become harshly slow, her mundane and tedious days gnawing away at her painfully. She needed excitement, and Sephiroth was giving it to her.

That night was different from before. Sephiroth seemed somehow more human. When he came again, he was just the same; reminding her of what was required to keep herself alive and then leaving her to her imagination. With each encounter, she became more confident in herself and her ability to please him. But she kept it hidden, not wanting it go to her head.

As the weeks went by, Sephiroth became more and more interested in her. She was lovely but strange. She knew her life hung in the balance and yet she acted like she had nothing to lose. She was enjoying him as much as he was enjoying her and he found himself aiming to please her regardless of what he was given.

 _That was not the plan._

One night, Sephiroth stepped in to Tifa's bedroom, disrobing like usual and climbing to bed with her. She'd come to expect him and therefore did not wake with a start. Instead, she gently stirred, rolling over and looking up into his face. But instead of smiling or offering a greeting, she just averted her eyes, sadly looking toward Sephiroth's sword that lay waiting upon the floor.

"What is it?" He asked softly, tracing her jaw with his finger.

"Tonight's the night I die." She whispered, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly, focusing on the way her lung expanded and contracted.

"Why tonight?" Sephiroth smelled her hair.

"I can't give it to you. I've…I've got my cycle." She sat up, turning her back to him.

"Your cycle." Sephiroth's eyebrows knitting as he searched for the meaning in her words. He felt like an idiot when it finally dawned on him that she was menstruating. That's right, he'd almost forgotten. "It's no matter; you have hands and a mouth." He crawled up behind her, placing soft kisses on her neck and shoulders.

"I…I don't know, I don't think I'd do a good job…I'm not in the mood for it so…"

She wasn't in the mood? A sharp pain ran through his chest and he sat back away from her. He watched her as she sat there, her shoulders quivering. She was crying, but too proud to sob out loud.

"That's a shame." He said, grabbing a handful of her hair, running his fingers through it. "But it's probably for the best."

Tifa's heart stopped briefly before racing into overdrive. Her hair stood on end and she closed her eyes.

 _This is really it for me._

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

The pounding her chest came to screeching halt.

What did he just say?

She cautiously turned to face him. "What?"

"What do you think of this arrangement?"

"What?"

"You seem as if you enjoy it. Am I wrong?"

"What?"

He stifled a grin, "Is 'what' the only thing you can say?"

"No, I just… _what?_ " She stood up; looking at him as if he'd lost his mind though he behaved perfectly sane.

"Come back to bed, Tifa." He lay down, patting the space beside him.

Tifa paused, considering her position. She hadn't expected this at all. He wanted to talk to her? He wanted to talk, like he actually gave a damn about her feelings. This couldn't be Sephiroth, no, this was someone else. This was someone who only looked like him, Sephiroth wouldn't care about anything she had to say…Would he?

At length, she got back in bed, laying down beside him. They lay there for several seconds without a word spoken between them. Sephiroth toyed with what he wanted to say; he wanted to know her beyond what they shared together. From the first moment she rendered him speechless, he knew she was something worthwhile.

Now he wanted her to prove it.

"What do you want to talk about?" She whispered, her body tense.

"Tifa…how do you feel about me?"

"…the hell?" She leaned away from him. "I hate you."

"But you seem like you enjoy our weekly meetings."

"You're a great fuck." She said honestly. "And you're the only one who gives me any so…"

"You are equally as satisfying. And you are, as well, the only one who gives in to my urges."

"Have you tried being with anyone else?"

"No. Not until our first night together did I feel that I needed to engage in intercourse."

"So why?" She found the nerve to scoot closer to him.

"Because when I saw you lying there I thought I wanted to make Cloud suffer. I thought that having my way with you and then leaving your body for him to find would make for some great fun."

"A-and now?"

"And now I don't know. You have not failed to please me every time I have come to you. In fact, the more I visit you, the longer I want to keep you alive."

Tifa gulped. She slowly turned to look at him. He was lying on his back his hands cross over his stomach. He seemed different.

"Sephiroth…can I ask you something off beat?"

"What?"

"Was there ever um…a Mrs. Sephiroth?"

He didn't move, but he did go a bit rigid, "Why would you ask me something like that?"

"I don't know. I just want to know what your life was like before Jenova. Did you have friends? A family?" She felt a little embarrassed for even asking.

"I had two close friends in Soldier. But aside from them, I had no family. No, I was never married."

"Do you ever think that you might want to be?"

Sephiroth looked at her through the dim light, she was she was beautiful in melancholy sort of way and despite her hatred of him, she treated him with a respect he never experienced from an enemy.

"I don't know about marriage." His hand slipped onto the mattress and inched toward hers, "But there is someone I fancy to be mine."

"Does she know about this thing you and I have together?"

"Yes."

"What does she think of it?" Tifa closed her eyes and rolled away from him, resting on her stomach. His hand missed hers only barely.

"I don't know; she has yet to tell me."

"That's sad." She sighed as sleep began to impede.

"It is unfortunate. But perhaps one day, she'll allow me to court her properly."

* * *

Tifa sat at a table, staring down into her coffee mug. She'd been sitting there for a while, thinking about Sephiroth of all people. What did he want to tell her last night? He was going somewhere with that conversation, but she fell asleep before he had a chance to get around to it.

"Tifa?"

She jumped at the sudden interruption, standing up so fast she dumped her chair over.

"Cloud!" She fought for breath, "What are you doing?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He took a half step forward, but then rocked back on his heels. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She gulped.

"Are you sure?" He finally approached her.

"Yeah," She picked up her chair and sat back down. "So what's up?"

"Well..." He hesitated, as if tossing and turning the thoughts in his head, "Would you be opposed to moving?"

"Moving?" She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I think we need to skip town." He sat down with her and handed her a newspaper and an official looking document. "The city has passed a new regulation. Apparently the population is too high or something."

"What?" Tifa scanned over the document and the newspaper, trying to understand what she was seeing. "Does this say what I think it says?"

"Yeah, unless we're related by blood or marriage, single men and women can't live together anymore."

"Ok then, so we'll just say we're siblings."

"Come on, Tifa, it's obvious that we're not."

"Ok, then we're cousins."

"Nope, not gonna cut it. We have to prove our relation with documentation, you know, birth certificates and stuff…and I'm afraid those were lost back when…"

"Oh…right. So what do we do? We can't afford to leave town. Where would we go? We'd have to start all over again and what about the kids?" Tifa finally took a sip of her coffee, grimacing at the cold bitter taste. She'd forgotten to add cream or sugar. "And you moving on your own is a no go, I can't afford this place on my own."

"Well," Cloud sighed, tapping the table anxiously. "There's always the other option."

"The other option?"

"We get married."


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. I wanted this to be a little different, but I saved some of what was going to happen for the next chapter.**

* * *

 **SHIVER**

 **Part III**

Releasing a heavy breath, Tifa pinned up her hair. With the last strand in place, she adjusted the hem of her skirt and rotated her foot on the tall heel of her shoe.

 _This is the moment I've been dreaming of my whole life…So why am I not excited about it?_

Looking up into the mirror, she guessed she looked alright. Her knee length dress was plain and black. She had no money to buy a real wedding dress, not that it mattered; they were getting married by a judge at the courthouse. Perhaps a white dress wouldn't have been practical; after all, they were riding to the courthouse on Cloud's motorcycle.

But still, it would have been nice.

"I look like I'm going to a funeral." She sighed, doing her best to put on a smile.

"Tifa, are you ready?" Cloud called through the door.

"Yes, I'm coming."

Stepping into the hall, Cloud met her with a sheepish grin. "You look nice."

"Thanks, you too." She said honestly; it was rare when Cloud got dressed up. She turned her head to the side as she glanced him up and down. He was wearing black slacks with a white shirt and a black jacket and tie. "Lose the tie."

"You don't like it?"

"You look like a Turk, chuck it."

Offering up a lopsided smile, Cloud loosened the tie, pulling it over his head, "Yes, dear."

"Look, we're acting like a married couple already." Tifa finally smiled for real. But it faltered. "Cloud, do you think this is alright, I mean, should we be doing this?"

"Why not? It's the best option for us, for now at least. If it doesn't work out, we can always get divorced I guess."

"I guess." Tifa wrung her hands together anxiously.

"Here, I got something for you." He handed her a small plastic bag with a bit of white tulle inside. "It's not much, but it's what I could get."

Tifa opened the bag, unfolded a shoulder length white veil on a comb. "Cloud…Thank you." At least she could have that much for her wedding day.

"Well come on, we need to be there by 10:00."

* * *

The courthouse was musty and gloomy. The lights flickered like there was a short in the wiring and the secretary barely acknowledged them as they sat waiting. In addition to Tifa and Cloud, there were six other couples getting married before noon that day, all of them surely marriages of convenience just like theirs.

 _At least we're not the only ones._

Tifa glanced around at the other couples, her stomach twisting. They all looked unhappy to be there, except one couple who seemed content as they held hands. She listened to them muttering and talking to one another, her hidden desire for some kind of drama coaxing her to eavesdrop. The happy couple was talking the loudest, the bride was wearing a white dress and the groom a tux, it seemed they had been planning a real wedding but had to get married ahead of schedule before the date – the fancy party would come later. Another couple featured a heavily pregnant bride, her maternity dress distressed at the seams. She looked happy with the arrangement but her husband-to-be would rather have been elsewhere. The rest of them appeared tired and bored, glancing at the clock and complaining about having to get to work that afternoon. Even Tifa and Cloud were starting to fidget.

"Strife and Lockheart," The clerk at the desk called as she handed them a folded document, "Here's your license, the judge will see you now."

They were led into a dark office, the only light afforded was from an open window. The judge was an older man in a dark grey suit, he seemed friendly enough but didn't bother to chitchat. Without any ado, the marriage was underway.

While the judge was busy reading, Tifa looked up into Cloud's face. He returned the favor and smiled at her, taking her hands in his own. Cloud wasn't the smiling type, so when he did it, it really meant something.

"Are you okay?" He mouthed, and she replied with a nod.

"…Do you have rings you'd like to exchange?" The judge said.

"Uh, yes." Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Inside were two plain silver bands and he handed the larger one to Tifa.

Tifa's hands trembled as she slid the ring onto Cloud's finger, repeating after the judge, "With this ring, I, thee wed."

Cloud followed in kind, sliding the ring onto Tifa's finger, "With this ring, I, thee wed."

"…I pronounce you husband and wife." He nodded as he folded his hands, "You may kiss your bride." The last bit sounded more like a joke than anything else, but Cloud blushed as his eyes met Tifa's.

Leaning in, Cloud drew in a breath and planted a kiss on Tifa's cheek. Needless to say it was anticlimactic and awkward. It left them both feeling embarrassed, especially since now the judge knew they weren't a real couple and, like the others, only got married because they had to.

The judge gave a piteous glance to Tifa who hung her head in shame as they signed the marriage license and left.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Cloud asked as they left the courthouse.

"Go home, I guess." She said as she waited for him to mount the motorcycle. "Barret will be back with the kids soon anyway."

"No, actually he told me he's taking them until day after tomorrow. So we can…I don't know, enjoy newlywed life for a day?"

"Oh, ok…" Tifa took up her position behind him. "It's too bad everyone couldn't have been here to see us get married." She removed the veil from her hair and shoved it into a saddlebag.

Cloud paused as he was about to start the engine. "We can have a real wedding later. I'll save up to get you a nice ring and a pretty dress. Would that make you happy?"

 _What would make me happy is if it would make you happy._

"Yes."

"Alright then." Cloud started the engine and headed home.

* * *

Tifa spent the first night of married life in her bed. Alone. A part of her hoped that maybe Cloud would want to at least share a room with her now that they were married, but nothing changed. Not even her name was changed.

Every day since was the same as it was before they got married.

What was she expecting? It was a marriage of convenience and nothing more than that. But she loved him, she always loved him.

Another week went by and Sephiroth had yet to return. She hoped that she'd at least get her weekly dose of sex and near death experiences, but even that drama seemed to have died. It was like nothing changed, Sephiroth was a bad dream and Cloud was…Cloud was just Cloud.

One night, after Tifa put the children to sleep, she was about to go to bed when Cloud peeked out his bedroom door.

"Tifa," He whispered, reaching out to grab her wrist.

"What is it?"

"Come in please?" He opened the door and let her in, locking it behind her.

A chill drifted over her as her face flushed with heat. She was in Cloud's bedroom…She bit her lip and crossed her arms around herself. "What's up, Cloud?"

"Come sit beside me." He sat down on his bed.

She humored him, taking a seat and remaining quiet.

"Tifa," Cloud sighed, "Look…I noticed that since we got married, you've been acting kind of depressed. Well actually, you've been like that for a while, but you've gotten worse since then."

"What of it?"

"Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Tifa didn't look at him, she just shook her head unsure of where to start. "I'm your wife but I mean nothing to you."

"That's not true." Cloud took her shoulders, trying to turn her toward him. "You're my best friend."

"Yeah, I'm just your friend. Cloud, I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for you to ask me to marry you. I've been hoping and waiting for years…But now that we've done it, it just feels wrong."

"You think I don't love you the way you love me."

"I know you don't." She brushed at her eye, daring the tears to breach her lids.

Cloud didn't speak, he just looked at her, watching her face and the way she rubbed her hands together.

"I know it's late and you probably don't want to, but…I was wondering if we could…consummate our marriage?"

Tifa snapped her head up, her eyes wide. "Really?" Her heart began fluttering and she felt a little ill, but in a good way.

"I'm sorry, I know that sounded dumb…I just have never known how to ask for sex. I've actually wanted to do it with you for a while."

Tifa's eyes got watery and she started to giggle softly. "You never knew how to ask? Well, 'Hey Tifa, I want to have sex with you', would have done the trick."

Cloud blushed, "Yeah well, do you know how hard it is to tell somebody that?"

"Yes I do." Tifa laughed breathily, scooting closer to him.

"So, wife?"

"Yes."

Cloud reached up to caress her cheeks, tracing his fingers along her jaw and rubbing his thumb across her lips. His breath escaped in hot puffs and she did her best to steady her breathing. Reaching up to his collar, Tifa unzipped his shirt, her hands shaking as she spread them across his bared chest.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Cloud pulled her nightgown over her head, happy to find that she was braless beneath. She looked so good, the only thing blocking his view were her panties. Easing down onto the bed, she raised her hips enough to let him pull off her panties.

Once she was completely naked, Cloud's breath hitched in his throat. She was the first woman he'd ever seen completely naked. Going deliberately slow, Cloud removed his pants, doing his best to hide his desperation.

Sliding between her legs, Cloud guided himself into her, unsure of how exactly to go from there. Once he was sheathed within her, he held himself there, feeling her soft wetness engulf him completely. She was hot and wet and tight…and hips bucked almost automatically when her inner walls squeezed around him.

"Cloud…do something…" She moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips.

Taking her body close to his, he leaned down to kiss her. His lips were trembling and he wasn't sure if that was what she wanted. But she responded favorably, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him there and rocked her hips against his.

He began moving, slowly and clumsily. But she helped him find a rhythm and soon they were moving together as one. But even as they found their cadence, it still didn't feel quite right.

"Do it harder." She gasped.

So he bore down harder on her, doing his best to get as deep as possible, but it caused him to slow down.

"Faster." She ordered.

So he picked up the pace again, but he wasn't getting as deep as he was before.

"Harder!"

 _Which is it? Harder or faster? I can't do both!_ Cloud's inexperience was blaring loud in Tifa's face and she was becoming frustrated with him.

She pushed him onto his back, but he slid out of her when he fell back. Tifa hissed in disappointment, remounting and setting her own desperate pace. She wanted it hard and she wanted it fast. She'd gotten used to what Sephiroth had to offer and Cloud wasn't living up to it.

Despite her feelings for Cloud, she found herself wishing it was Sephiroth beneath her. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it, needing no tutorial. And Tifa wasn't up for teaching.

Bearing down with all she had, Tifa began riding him full force. Sweat slicked on their skin as their bodies heated up more and more. The hard throbbing in her core began to mount and she raced toward the most amazing –

Cloud sunk his nails into her hips, coming hard. She felt the heat spread inside of her, putting out the flame burning there. She noted the sensation of him going soft and she shook her head as she backed off of him, reseating herself on the edge of the bed.

"Oh…damn…" Cloud moaned, a satisfied grin on his face.

But Tifa wasn't smiling. She was almost there, but she tripped on her way to the finish line. No…Cloud just got there first.

"I'm going to bed." Tifa said, slipping her nightgown back over her head.

"Wait, do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Cloud grabbed her hand.

"N-not really." She couldn't believe she denied him, denied herself. She would normally have loved to sleep in his bed, but that night she was just too disappointed stay.

"Oh…" Cloud let her go, "Okay, if that's what you want."

Turned away, but about faced when her heart slammed her chest, "Cloud, was this your first time?"

Cloud's eyes got huge. A mad blush swept his face and he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Uh…yes?"

 _I knew it._ "Okay…I was just wondering. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tifa returned to her room to find the light on. She stood there for a moment staring at it.

 _When did I turn on the lamp?_

She jumped when a shadow crossed her peripheral vision.

"Sephiroth…" She suddenly felt guilty, but why?

"I hoped you'd be here when I got here." He said, glancing through a photo album. "I hope you don't mind, I helped myself."

"No…that's alright." She tossed her panties in the laundry hamper; she doubted she'd need them again that night. The two of them remained silent as she watched him flip through the album. A ripple of anger glided through her, "Where have you been?"

"Eager to meet your fate, are you?"

"Just tell me."

"Here and there." He said, he glanced at the pair of panties she threw in the hamper. "I assume you're not in the mood again?"

"All I really want right now is a quick release." She said honestly.

"So he wasn't satisfying."

"Well, he's not you." She knew he'd know.

"Too bad, I'm not in the mood either. In fact that's why I haven't been to see you recently."

"So now you've gotten bored of me?" She took a step back.

"On the contrary." He put the photo album aside, "I'm still interested in you. In fact I want to finish where we left off the other night."

He pushed her down onto her bed, kneeling down in front of her. Removing his gloves, he spread his soft hands across her thighs, easing them apart and leaning into drag his tongue up her cleft. Tifa's breath caught and she felt backward.

"I thought you weren't in the mood." She gasped, her hands in his hair.

"I'm not in the mood for my own release, but if I can assist you…" He slid his tongue between her lips.

Tifa folded her hands over her mouth to muffle her moans as he flicked her aching clit. Each staccato thrust of his tongue sent shockwaves rippling through her body and her hips rolled eagerly against his face.

Taking her swollen bud between his lips, Sephiroth sucked gently, enjoy her taste and the sound of her trying to keep quiet. He stroked her legs before running his hands across her body, relishing the feeling of her shivering.

She easily rose to orgasm, arching her body and biting her hand to keep from losing control. Sephiroth continued to hold on to her even as she fought against herself. Finally realizing there was no way out, She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, letting the eruption wash over her.

"Feel better?" He purred against her spasming pussy, kissing her lips once before rising back up.

She was shuddering and her skin was riddled with goosebumps. Tifa tossed the pillow away.

"Yes…yes I feel better." She sat up again, dazedly tossing back the coverlet and sliding between the sheets.

"Something is troubling you." Sephiroth said as he shucked his clothes.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying." He climbed in bed beside her.

"Do you really care?"

"Humor me."

Tifa rolled onto her back and sighed despairingly. "Cloud and I got married two weeks ago ago."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and his lip curled into a sneer. "I thought you weren't lovers."

"We weren't. We got married because we can't continue to live together otherwise. I need him to help me pay the bills."

"I see."

"Are you mad?" Tifa finally looked at him.

"Just surprised."

"Anyway it doesn't matter."

Sephiroth rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his arm. "Tifa, I want you to know something."

"What?"

"Just know that you can tell me your woes."

"Excuse me?"

"Tifa, I know this sounds strange to you because it feels strange to say. But, I want to be your friend."

"But you said you were going to kill me."

Sephiroth felt another sharp pain rocket through his chest and his stomach did somersaults. "That was before you showed me how special you are."

"Are you sick?"

"No." Sephiroth reached out, taking her hand. Interlacing his fingers with hers, he said, "In fact for the first time in years, my mind is perfectly clear. Ever since our first night, I've been feeling strange. You're all I can think about and when I see you, I feel like…like nothing else really matters anymore." He pushed his hair back shaking his head, "Of all the things I've seen and done, this is something I've never felt before in my life. I don't understand what it means."

A lump formed in Tifa's throat and she yanked her hand from his. She sat up, her chest laboring beneath each breath. "Sephiroth, I think you're in love."

"Love?" Sephiroth sat up, scooting up behind her. Caressing her hair, he took her shoulders, pulling her back into his chest. "Is love supposed to be this painful? Am I supposed to feel ill and breathless? Am I supposed to feel like nothing else is good enough anymore?"

"Yes." She said honestly. Tifa closed her eyes and thought about Cloud. A sad smirk etched across her lips. Barely married and she'd already betrayed her husband in the worst of ways. "Especially when the person you love doesn't love you back."

"Tifa, do you think there's a chance that you could want me?"

"Beyond a sexual relationship? I can't say."

"It's probably for the best." Sephiroth smelled her hair. "I can't guarantee I could treat you well, nor can I say I won't get tired and finally kill you."

Tifa turned around in his arms and cuddled into his chest. "Would you go ahead and do it if I asked?"

"Kill you?"

"Yes."

"Are you asking?" He kissed the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know."

"If you truly want it, I could give it to you, but if you are unsure then I'm afraid I must decline."

"Sephiroth," She pushed him back down into the pillows and rested her head on his shoulder. "Will you at least stay with me until morning?"

"Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. Omg, I spent all week thinking of how I wanted this to end. Still not sure if this is the last chapter or not. As it stands, this is the end.**

* * *

 **SHIVER**

 **Part IV**

Sephiroth ran his hand up Tifa leg, tickling her sides before trailing it back down her arm. She shivered beneath his touch and he followed the path again.

"Tifa…kiss me." He breathed against her lips as she obliged him.

He had taken to spending more and more time with her, first it was once every couple of weeks, then it was once a week, then it was twice and three times a week…Now he spent every night with her. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they fucked, sometimes they did both. And with each meeting, Sephiroth felt a little more of his long dormant heart pump a little harder.

It hard for Tifa, to keep Sephiroth just far enough away so that Cloud and the children wouldn't find out about him.

But it worked.

For the time being at least.

She and Cloud had become slightly more domestic in their relationship; they picked up pet names – she called him "Sweetie" and he called her "Honey" – they were unoriginal and tired, but at least they were trying. Cloud had taken to giving Tifa a kiss before leaving for work and one more before going to bed. He even got better at asking her for sex, but despite the practice she gave him, he was still severely lacking and failed every time to bring her to completion. Not that she cared; Sephiroth would be around when it got dark to finish her off anyway…

But still…

Tifa rolled over, putting her back to Sephiroth.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to do it tonight." She said, drawing the comforter up around her.

"If that's what you wish." He wrapped his arm around her and brought her against his chest. "Talk to me, Tifa."

"How long do you think we can keep this up before he finds out about us?"

"We've been at it for nearly a year now…But I suppose eventually it will come to pass."

"When that day comes, that's when I want you to kill me."

"How come?"

"Because when he finds out it's you I've been sleeping with, I'll lose everything. My business, my home, my friends, my husband…my children…everything I love. I'll be completely ruined."

"You know," He exhaled sharply, thinking of his failed request the first night they spent together. "You could always come away with me."

"And what then?"

"We could start over, somewhere safe and secluded, just the two of us."

Tifa shut her eyes tightly, tears escaping between her lashes. "What good would that be?"

Sephiroth didn't say anything; he just buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. He wanted her so badly, why couldn't she see that? Why couldn't she just realize how happy he could make her if she just let him?

"Sephiroth," Tifa wiped her eyes and leaned back into him. "Take my mind off this…Talk to me, say something…Anything."

"Do you enjoy it when I talk to you?"

"Somewhat."

He found a slight smile. "You know when I was a boy, I really enjoyed collecting rocks. Whenever I went someplace new I would always take a rock as a souvenir."

She rolled over, "Rocks?"

"Yes. I actually continued this behavior into adulthood. A friend of mine once called me a real ' _Rock_ Star'."

Tifa stared at him for several seconds before she began to giggle. Clutching a hand over her mouth, she took several deep breaths to keep from making too much noise.

"Is that a true story?"

"Yes." He cuddled her closer. "What? You said anything."

"I suppose I did." She fidgeted a little until she got comfortable. "You know I actually used to do the same thing."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, it looks like we have something in common then." Sephiroth brought her hand to his lips, kissing each one of her fingertips.

Tifa watched him, staring at his face. With his eyes closed, he looked so handsome, so human. If she didn't know any better, she'd have just thought that he was a regular man. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't let herself forget.

 _I know you love me…But I…_

* * *

Cloud gave Tifa a kiss before retiring for bed. It was a nightly ritual, as soon as they put the kids down, they would walk into the hall, exchange a hug and a kiss, and then go to their separate rooms. But as he walked away, he realized something, something every husband should never forget.

 _It's our first anniversary._

Gulping hard, Cloud turned around just in time to see Tifa's door close. Should he say something? She hadn't mentioned it all day. Should he run out and get her a gift so it didn't seem like he'd forgotten? Or should he just let it go?

Opting for the former, Cloud grabbed his keys and ran out into the dark in search of something, anything. It was 9:00 in the evening, so the shops were beginning to close.

What do you get your wife on your one year anniversary?

He ran into the first store he saw that was still open. It was a general store, selling a little bit of everything, and thank goodness they closed in two hours. There were a few gifts and whatnot, but everything seemed cheap and meaningless.

After wandering around for forty-five minutes, and getting weird looks from the two employees at the cash register, Cloud finally chose a set of sparkly beaded bracelets and a single silk rose. He was unhappy with the choice, but there wasn't much else that he felt suited the occasion.

When he made it back home, he hoped that perhaps Tifa was still awake so he could give it to her that same night. Approaching her door in the dark hallway, he noticed the light flooding in from under the door.

Great, she was still up.

Gathering his nerve, he was about to knock when he heard Tifa's soft moans. At first, he thought she might have been crying.

 _Nice going jerk, you made her cry…again!_

No…no…that wasn't crying. No, that sounds like…

Cloud grasped the doorknob, cracking it open enough to see the foot of Tifa's bed. Her legs were visible and between them were the legs of her lover.

A knot formed in Cloud's throat and the tightness twisted its way down through his chest to his gut. He pushed the door open just a little further just enough to see the man reaming Tifa so hard she was nearly screaming.

He wanted to bust in at that moment, confront them and banish the man from his home. But he couldn't, he couldn't move. His heart was pounding in his head and his mouth was dry.

And then, he calmed.

The anger melted away almost as suddenly as it appeared and he backed away from the door, silently closing it.

 _Who am I fooling?_

He looked down at the crappy plastic bracelets in his hand and tossed them onto his bed when he made it to his room. He knew he wasn't the best in bed, and he couldn't expect her to put up with his lousy lovemaking forever. He knew from the beginning that there was something standing between them, he just never knew it was another man. The best gift he could give her was a free pass. If that guy – whoever he was – made her happy, then so be it.

 _What am I thinking? I shouldn't let them get away with this!_

"But…what if she's in love with him?" Cloud sat down and began to undress. "As long as she's discreet about it then, I don't mind."

 _Really. I don't._

* * *

Cloud came down to find Tifa at her usual spot with her morning coffee, she was reading a magazine and seemed happy.

She must have had a good night.

"Good morning, Honey," Cloud leaned down and pecked at her cheek before handing her the present he bought last night.

"What's this?"

"Yesterday was our anniversary. And, well I forgot."

"It was?" She froze, "I guess I forgot too." She opened the little pink box to find a set of three beaded bracelets, a black, silver, and a white. "These are pretty!"

"You like them?"

"Yes." She immediately put them on. "I love them."

Cloud's heart warmed up, "I'm glad."

"But I don't have anything for you."

He leaned in, whispering into her ear, "The kids are at a school, the bar is closed, and I don't have any deliveries today."

"Yeah?" She grinned as he pulled her back into his chest. As he began to kiss her neck and shoulders, she said, "So to your room then?"

"Let's stay here."

Cloud grabbed her out of her chair and threw her over the table. It was both shocking and intriguing for her as he attacked her with a vicious kiss. Where ever did this come from? He was always so delicate and patient with her…almost too much…But not this time. This time it was almost like he was desperate or angry at something.

He tore her clothes off, leaving them in a shredded pile on the floor. Her hair stood on end as he lifted bottom from the table, her shoulders take on most of her weight as he brought her pussy to his mouth. He nibbled at her opening, sliding his tongue between her lips before lapping mercilessly at her clit.

Tifa arched her body, biting her lip.

"Cloud!" She cried, "We can't do this here! Somebody…might…see…" She motioned dazedly at the open blinds and covered her face both in shame and amusement.

"Good, I want them to see." Cloud husked, continuing to eat her out.

He hoped someone would see. Precisely, the guy she was with last night. He fantasized about that man passing by and glancing in through the window to see Tifa getting pounded and enjoying every bit of it. It would be good, quiet and harmless revenge.

Tifa screamed as Cloud brought her to orgasm. She gripped the tablecloth as he slammed her back down. Shoving his pants down, Cloud dragged her back to the edge of the table, entering her with a hard upward thrust.

She sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him in to kiss him. Cloud hooked his arms under her knees, digging his fingers into her hips as he did his best to give it to her the way she liked it. He had to; he couldn't lose her to someone else. Not yet.

As Cloud struggled to maintain a good rhythm, he rammed into her in frustration, grinding himself into her as hard as he could with quick, short strokes. Tifa's body arched instantly and she nearly fell backward into the table.

 _That's it!_

Cloud realized what he needed to do to give it to her both hard and fast. It was surprisingly easy to keep up and he gained his own intense pleasure from it. His skin prickled with goose bumps even though he was sweating and his body began to quiver.

Tifa hung onto him tightly, crying out her satisfaction as she rode wave after wave of pleasure. But as she mounted toward her climax, she began to think about Sephiroth. She thought it would be nice just once to have him in the open like this, so anyone might happen to peek in on them. She wanted to show the world how she'd tamed the beast.

"Oh…yes…" She hissed in his ear, "Do it to me! Oh… _Se–_ " She shut her mouth just before she betrayed herself, moaning behind clenched lips.

Cloud heard her slip, but chose to ignore it for the moment; he wasn't going to stop now, not when he was so close to giving her what she wanted.

Finally, Tifa's tense body relaxed in his arms and Cloud pumped her a few more times before letting himself go. A sense of accomplishment washed over him as he let her lie down on the tabletop, rearing back to admire a job well done. She was panting and sweating, her hair splayed all around her, her breasts heaving with her breaths and her legs open, a shimmer of his semen dripping from her.

Cloud pulled up his pants and reached for Tifa's ruined clothes. "Sorry about that. I got carried away."

"It's alright. They're kind of old anyway." She sat up, stiffly easing herself off the table.

"Look, Tifa…I um…" He felt a bit of jealousy stir up in him. "You almost said a name a while ago."

"Oh, I – "

"Look, I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I saw you last night. I was going to give you your gift, but when I went into your room, I saw you with him."

Tifa's heart rammed her chest repeatedly, her skin prickled, and her stomach lurched. Sinking to her knees, she tried to prepare herself for Cloud's rage. Dragging her gaze up his form to his face, she expected him to be angry and start screaming at her for betraying everything they stood for.

But he didn't appear angry. Just a little bit sad.

"I didn't stay for more than a few seconds and I didn't see who it was."

 _He didn't see._

"Can you just tell me, is it someone I know?"

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, "Yes."

Cloud closed his eyes, his heart shaking, "Someone I know well?"

"In a sense."

Cloud nodded, putting his hand out to her. She took it cautiously, letting him help her to her feet. Once she was up, he placed his hands gently on her hips and brought her close, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm not angry that you have a lover, Tifa." He sighed, "I'm just angry that I couldn't love you the way you wanted me to. I feel like a loser for failing to please you at home, in bed…in life. And I'm sorry."

 _He's sorry? I'm the one who got caught having an affair and he's apologizing?_

"No…I'm the one who should be apologizing." She leaned back from him but he held her thus. "I've betrayed you, Cloud. And I've been doing it for a long time."

"Tifa, stop." He stroked his hand up her arm and across her shoulder to cup her cheek. "Do what you need to do, Tifa. Just promise me something?"

"What?"

"That I can keep you for just a little longer and that you're discreet with him…And…" He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, "That you're doing this because you love him and because he makes you happy."

Tifa couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst out in tears, collapsing into Cloud's chest. He held her tightly, letting her unleash all the emotions she'd harbored for the last year.

Cloud slid his hand down Tifa's chest, tracing the scar between her breasts softly. He pretended all this time not to notice, he couldn't bring himself to think of how it came to be there. It was a fine line; the blade had to have been like a razor. The mark was precise, dead center of her chest.

 _Sephiroth? No. She wouldn't…not with him._

* * *

Sephiroth watched Tifa while she slept. She didn't look like much to him at first, but over time it seemed like the more he got to know her, the more beautiful she became. Even with her flaws, she was perfect for him.

He leaned down, kissing the scar he'd given her. Tifa's eyes fluttered open with the contact and she sat up, looking into his face. It was difficult to meet his gaze, but she did it, pretending like his inhuman eyes didn't bother her.

"Something happened today." Sephiroth said as if reading her thoughts.

"Cloud knows about us."

"He knows I'm here."

"No, he doesn't know for sure that it's you, but he knows that I'm sleeping with someone."

"So? Is your life over?"

"Not yet." She sighed, smoothing her hand up his chest. "He's given his blessing as long as I'm happy."

"And are you?" Sephiroth's heart leapt.

"I don't know." She leaned into his shoulder.

"Tifa, I want you."

She exhaled sharply, "You have me. Every night, you have me."

"That's not what I mean. I have your body, and I have your mind. But I don't have your heart. And that is what I want most."

"And what do I get in return?" She lifted his hand, spreading her fingers out in line with his. She marveled at how large his hand was, his fingers stretching out almost an inch and a half past her own.

"My soul." He folded his hand over hers, interlacing their fingers. "I asked you this once before, but…Can you ever want me?"

"If you're waiting for me to tell you I love you, then you'll be waiting for a very long time."

"I have all the time in the world."

Sephiroth pushed her down into the pillows, laying down beside her and cradling her in his arms. He admired her strength, to be able to submit to him for so long and still be in control of herself. She really was very interesting. She was everything he never knew he wanted and he would wait forever for her if he had to. Even if she waited her entire lifetime, only admitting she loved him with her dying breath, he would be happy knowing that even for a brief moment, she was as much his as he was hers.

* * *

 **Let me know in comments or PMs in you guys want at least once more chapter and how you'd like to see it end. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII. The last chapter was the official ending of the story, so this chapter is just a little optional bit I did just because I felt the last chapter didn't quite give enough closure. I also have an idea for a different alternate ending.**

* * *

 **Shiver**

 **Alternate Ending: Happy Ending**

Sephiroth slid his hands down Tifa's body, taking in her softness and breathing in the scent of her hair. She trembled beneath his touch, her breath hitching and goose bumps prickling her skin.

"Tifa, do you still fear me?" He whispered, noting her tensed muscles.

"I don't know how to answer that." She said, shrugging him off. She left him lying on her bed as she went up to the window, peeking through the blinds.

"It's a simple question. Either you fear me or you don't." He narrowed his eyes at her, sensing something weighing on her mind. Not that her worrying was anything new; she'd been uptight and pensive ever since they began their affair years prior.

Tifa sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself. "Do you know how hard it is to keep my cool when I'm around you?" She turned her back to him, not wanting to make contact with his smoldering gaze. "I'm not so much afraid of you as I am of how we're supposed to keep this going."

Sephiroth closed his eyes, considering her point of view. They'd been at this for so long, for him it had become a happy fact of life, but she didn't see it that way. She had so much to lose if anyone found out it was him she'd been sleeping with.

"You know, you can still come away with me. No one has to find out about us."

"Where, Sephiroth?" She turned around again, "There is nowhere we can go that someone won't recognize you. You're not exactly inconspicuous."

He nodded, agreeing. "True, but who says we have to live among people? There are plenty of unpopulated regions." He approached her, wrapping his arms around her.

"What about your great plan about destroying this planet and becoming a god?" She smirked indignantly at the memory from long ago.

Sephiroth frowned, "That was before I realized how important you are."

"What would we do, living away from society?"

"For the first time, I haven't a plan." He relished the softness of her hair against his face, "Perhaps we can…have a family?"

Tifa bit her lip, wringing her fingers together, "Sephiroth, have you ever considered in all the time we've been together, that I haven't gotten pregnant? Not even once?"

Sephiroth went rigid. He'd honestly never given it a thought. He supposed he assumed that she was using some kind of birth control. "No, I haven't."

"Well…It's because I can't have kids."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I can't have children, Sephiroth. So, even if I wanted to – which I _don't_ – I can't give you a family."

Sephiroth took a step back, "But your son and daughter…"

"They're adopted." Tifa shifted her eyes back and forth across the floor, not daring to look at him.

Once again, Sephiroth was left dumbfounded by her, but not in a good way like usual. "These are vital details you've conveniently left out of our discussions. All this time, I thought you were fertile and your children were actually your blood relations."

The corner of her mouth tugged into a smug grin despite the way her heart thundered in her chest beneath his murderous gaze. "A deal breaker is it?"

"I don't take kindly to being lied to."

"I didn't lie; I just didn't divulge the entire truth. Besides, you never brought up the desire to have children until now." Tifa side stepped, inching away from him slowly. "Also, the thought of you as a father makes me nauseated. If I was pregnant by you, I'd kill myself."

"Don't make jokes at my expense. It's enough I've already embarrassed myself."

"I'm not joking. And why are you embarrassed?"

"I shared with you my innermost desires, only to find that you're incapable of enacting them."

"Look, I didn't ask you to fall in love with me. And I'm certainly not in love with you. I hate you with every bit of my soul." She trembled as if with a fever, "And you know what I hate more than you?"

Sephiroth's eyes darkened and he leaned in to hear.

"I hate – with everything I am, ever was, or ever will be – how much I want and need you in my life."

Sephiroth took a step backward. That was not what he'd expected her to say. Not even by a longshot. This woman…never ceased to amaze him. Even after so many years, she still rendered him speechless.

"I don't understand how I can so deeply crave someone who sickens me so much. Every day I bathe myself, trying to wash you away before I let my husband have me, so he won't be tainted by you. But when he touches me, I can't help but imagine that he's you."

Sephiroth was at once offended and flattered. "He pleases you emotionally, whilst I please you sexually. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Tifa finally looked into his face. He didn't look nearly as angry as she'd expected, rather, he looked quite sad.

"You don't want this between us to end, do you? That's why you're worried about how to keep it going."

"Yes."

He stroked her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. She was the first person ever to make him realize there was more to life than war, that there was another side to the coin. She made him understand that life was precious and, if he would just slow down for a moment and look around, that he'd find something worth living for.

And it was her.

"It's not a deal breaker." He said finally, looking into her watery eyes. "So I'll never be a father. It's alright."

"Y-you're not angry?"

"Why should I be?"

"I don't know…I…" She pushed away from him. "Look, the sun is coming up soon. You need to go now."

Sephiroth noted the time and nodded silently. He gathered his clothes and bid her farewell with only a brush of a kiss before disappearing to the black morning.

Tifa held it in until she was sure he was gone. Exhaling heavily, she began sobbing; the wicked pain gnawing at her chest and gut, threatening to eat her whole. She couldn't understand why it hurt so much to see him leave and why she waited so anxiously for night to promise his return.

She sank to the floor, curling into a ball as she fought for some rational emotion. There was none. She had nothing to hold on to, save for the one conflicting thought…

"What I hate most in the entire world…" She breathed behind her tears, "…Is how much I don't hate you at all…"

* * *

Cloud watched Tifa as she picked at her dinner. She'd been down and depressed for days now. Every now and then she'd get like that, and he knew it had everything to do with her lover. Despite knowing about her affair, Cloud wasn't jealous. Like for Sephiroth, this arrangement had become a fact of life for him, and even though this had been going on for years, the other man hadn't moved to steal Tifa away. It was a perfect love triangle: Cloud had Tifa during the day, and the other man had her at night. Neither of them had to cross paths and she had been so discreet as not allow the children (who were now teens) to know anything was going on.

But what deeply bothered Cloud was that this other man had such a profound effect on Tifa's emotional state. He thought that if this man – whoever he was – loved her and she loved him, then she wouldn't be so upset all the time.

Tifa also seemed anxious; she was always checking the clock when the sun started to set. Then it struck him like lightning…

"It's me isn't it?" He blurted out, leaving her clueless as to what he'd been thinking about.

"What's you?" She looked up from her plate.

"I'm the reason you can't be happy."

"What makes you say that?" Her heart slammed against her chest before humming.

"You want to be with the one who loves you at night." Cloud placed his fork on the table, interlacing his fingers. "And because we're married, you feel like you can't be with him."

"Cloud, I –"

He raised his hand, "No, please. Tifa, I've been extremely selfish, and I'm so, so sorry. I was actually a little jealous back then, when I asked that you be discreet about him and that you let me keep you. I had no right, not even as your legal spouse, to ask something like that of you."

"Cloud, where's this coming from?"

"From my heart." He said simply, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. "I love you, Tifa. I always have, even before I realized it. You've always been there for me and I've taken advantage of you and never really appreciated you when you needed me to. I wanted you to be my wife even before the city passed that stupid law. But it gave me an easy excuse to ask you to marry me."

Tifa's heart was heavy in her chest as she silently listened to him. She held her breath, lest she be betrayed by her tears.

"But you don't love me. Not like you once did." Cloud rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. "You love him. That's why you were so sad when we got married. Am I wrong? Do you want to be with him?"

"I…I don't know…" She breathed, the tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "I've spent the last few years denying the possibility that I might love him…Because I always wanted to be with you. A-and…the moment that I felt something for someone else, I was so damn scared…I try so hard to convince him and myself that I hate him."

"You deserve to be happy, Tifa." Cloud whispered, "You need to be with him."

"Cloud…" She took a deep breath, not really knowing what she wanted to say. "What about the kids?"

"You mean the _young adults_? They will understand." Cloud offered her a reassuring smile.

"You love me enough to let me go…"

"Forever." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers.

"At first it was entirely about sex…But then we got to talking and…" She shrugged, shaking her head of the memory.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Like what?"

"Like this." Cloud came around the table, getting down on one knee with her hand in his, "Tifa, will you do me the honor of becoming my ex-wife?"

She stared at him for a moment before releasing an awkward, stifled laugh. "Thank you, Cloud."

* * *

It had been an entire week since Sephiroth had last shown himself. And that night, Tifa waited anxiously, hoping that he'd show up so she could tell him the news.

He flew in after midnight, finding her asleep with the lamp still on. Shedding his clothes, he climbed into bed with her, cradling her against his chest. He looked into her face, certain as he was every day that he wanted her.

"Tifa," He whispered against her ear, "I'm back."

Her eyes fluttered open and she offered a tired smile. "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry…I needed to do some soul searching."

"That sounds like something I need to do." She touched his face, dragging her fingers down his cheek and tracing his jawline. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said I hated you."

"No need to apologize for the truth." He caught her hand, placing a kiss on her palm.

"Cloud and I are getting divorced."

Sephiroth's eyes flew open wide and he leaned back from her. "You are?"

"He noticed something about us I didn't realize until today."

"What?"

"That I want to be with you."

Sephiroth's perpetually calm heart suddenly began to race, in fact it sped up so fast it made his chest hurt. "What did you just say to me?"

"I want to be with you."

"Tifa…" Once again, she'd rendered him speechless. That was perhaps his favorite thing about her; she was the only person who could make his constantly calculating mind lose itself.

"Let's go, when Cloud and I finalize our divorce."

"Go where?"

"Anywhere."

"Why, Tifa? When last we met, you made it quite clear how much you hate me."

"In the beginning it was true, but as time passed, I had to remind myself that I should hate you. I thought I was betraying myself and my family enough just by being with you, I thought I could convince myself that I still felt ill will toward you. But I really don't."

"You make very little sense, you strange, beautiful, human." Sephiroth leaned in, catching her lips in a desperate kiss.

She breathed deeply, taking in the earthy smell of him. "Sephiroth, make love to me."

Sephiroth moved between her legs, gently sliding into her. He took a slow pace, whispering her name against her lips. This was the moment he'd been waiting for since the first night he had her. This was the way it should have been every time since, the two of them honest with their feelings and open to one another, the two of them completely in love.

Tifa pushed him over and sat astride him, taking the lead as she set a quicker, more frantic pace. He grinned up at her; she always liked it just a little rougher. Despite enjoying being the dominant party, Sephiroth was more than pleased to watch his woman ride him, her hips gyrating, her breasts bouncing and swaying. He loved how she arched her body backward and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

She clenched herself around him as she moved, enjoying the way his breath hitched in his throat and how he raised his hips up in an attempt to get deeper inside of her. She lay down on his chest, stretching herself out the length of him, and continued to rock her hips against him.

He took this chance to flip them back over, taking over with the hard, deep thrusts she always liked. He brought her to climax over and over again; with each spasm of her wet heat, he edged closer and closer to his own powerful release.

As he let himself go, Tifa had to clamp her hand down over his mouth to muffle the animalistic roar. He tore her hand from his face, mashing his lips against hers, continuing to growl into her mouth. Sephiroth sat up on his knees, lifting her with him. They never broke contact or rhythm as she continued to move against him, racing toward one more delicious orgasm. His hands slid up and down her back, running down her thighs and over her supple bottom.

He broke the kiss, wanting to see her face. Once long ago, he wanted to look into her eyes as he heartlessly murdered her, he wanted to taste her blood and feel her skin grow cold. Things were different now; now he wanted to look into her eyes as he brought her unspeakable pleasure, he wanted to taste her femininity and feel the heat of her body against his own.

As she built up to that luscious moment of release, her gaze met his. Her brown eyes were darker than normal, her pupils were dilated and her eyebrows were knitted. She clutched to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as her breasts heaved with each desperate breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead, dripping down her face and neck before running in hot trails down her body.

When the moment came, she slammed herself down on him and very nearly screamed out had Sephiroth not returned the favor of covering her mouth with his hand. He half expected her to close her eyes as she rode out her pleasure, but she obliged him, staring directly into his eyes. He swore he saw electric sparks sizzle in her gaze.

Beginning to calm, Tifa curled into his chest and released soft moans against his slick pecs, her pussy continued to spasm around his throbbing shaft. She liked that he maintained an erection even after having came; it promised her that it was alright to finish last.

"Tifa…" Sephiroth all but moaned, placing delicate kisses across her chest and neck as she rolled her head back.

He let her fall gently back onto the mattress where she rolled to her side. He took up his spot behind her and spoiled her with more kisses and soft caresses.

"Sephiroth?" Tifa whispered as sleep began to fade over her.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry I can't give you a family or even a home…" Her eyes were already closed and her voice was getting weaker, "…But I can give you my heart…That's what you said you wanted most of all."

Sephiroth's eyes instantly welled with tears. He'd never cried before in his life, but in that moment, he couldn't hold it back.

"Tifa, you are my family, and my home is wherever you are. I just wish I could have known that a long, long time ago…before I destroyed your life."

"Sephiroth…I forgive you…"

Clutching her to his chest and hiding his face in her hair, he began to weep. It was always strange to him to see people cry when they were happy, but in that moment he understood that there came a point when one is so overcome with joy that a laugh is overridden by the seemingly opposite urge to cry. It was the first time he ever remembered crying, and he was glad it was because this woman loved him.

* * *

 **The other idea I have is a not so happy ending...I'm undecided about how unhappy, but it will be on the darker side of things.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do now own Final Fantasy VII. Okay...Here is the other, darker, alternate ending.**

* * *

 **Shiver**

 **Alternate Ending: Tragic Ending**

Tifa stared at the ceiling as Sephiroth had his way with her. Despite the pleasure he gave her, she chose to distance herself from it, trying to keep her voice low and her breathing controlled. Sephiroth mouthed her breasts, muffling his voice in her soft cleavage.

It was alright at first, but as the years passed, it was becoming harder and harder to keep quiet. She wanted to lose herself in what he gave her; regardless of her hatred of him, he still pleased her more than Cloud ever could. She wanted to ride him so hard the bed frame battered the wall, she wanted to scream out his name over and over again, she want him to have her in various places throughout the building…

But they had to be content with just her bedroom. Sometimes they spiced it up by fucking on the floor or against the wall…One time he got her from behind while she watched in the dresser mirror. But they had to keep it down of course.

"You're not enjoying this." Sephiroth's voice caused her to tense up.

"Yes I am." Tifa didn't look him in the face.

"No you're not." He rolled off of her. "You're lost in your head."

"I was just thinking how nice it would be if we didn't have to keep quiet all the time."

Sephiroth smirked, lifting his sword from its resting place just beside the bed. "I can take care of that, you know?"

Tifa sat up, drawing in a sharp breath, "Don't!"

"Calm down." He sat the weapon aside, "It was only a jest."

"You're wicked."

"I know." He tugged on her hair, requesting that she lay back down. "I like being this way."

Tifa rested back on the pillows but she turned her back to him, "You had me fooled for a while. I thought you'd changed."

"Changed?" He rolled over, grabbing a handful of her hair. With a gentle, but firm pull he brought her head back against his chest. He brought his lips to her ear. "Just because I fell in love, doesn't mean I've mended my ways. I haven't forgotten nor have I cancelled my plans. Because of you, I have only delayed the inevitable."

"So…you're still going to destroy the Planet." She choked.

"Eventually." He grazed his teeth across her ear, "It won't be today nor tomorrow. Perhaps not even a year from now…But eventually."

"And? When that day comes, what becomes of me?...Of us?"

"Judging from the way you profess your animosity toward me, there is no 'us'. What will become of you depends on _you_."

"What do you mean?"

"Whether or not you still want me to kill you."

"Do you still want to kill me?"

"No. That is one thing I do not want anymore."

"But if you destroy the Planet, I'll die with everyone else."

He released her and withdrew from her. "I will merge with the Lifestream and become a god…At which point nothing will be impossible for me. I will bring you back from death."

Tifa suppressed a shudder. "But what if I don't want you to."

"By then, that wouldn't be your decision to make." Sephiroth forced her to face him. "Perhaps I should kill you, that way you wouldn't have to watch everyone else suffer when the day comes."

Tifa grit her teeth and wrenched herself from his grasp. "Cloud will stop you. He's done it before, he'll do it again."

Sephiroth smirked, "Not if he has nothing left to live for. With his family gone, what reason would he have to stand against me?"

She met his gaze, noting the conviction resting there. Her eyes began to water, but she sniffed back the urge to sob, "You're really serious, aren't you? Why? Why can't you just let it be?"

"Because I must fulfill my purpose – my duty to my Mother and to myself. And your people are standing in my way." He tugged his clothes on. "If you could have returned my feelings when I shared them with you, then perhaps I would have reconsidered this entire endeavor. But after all these years, I'm sure that you never will."

"But…" She stood, approaching him with all her courage. She spread her hands across his chest before wrapping her arms around his waist. He made no move to hold her. "You said you would wait for me. You said you had all the time in the world."

Sephiroth finally touched her, tenderly cupping her cheek in his gloved hand. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and kissed her softly. Withdrawing from her, he rested his forehead against hers. "I want you, Tifa. My desire for you will never fade. You are the only woman who ever made me feel this kind of passion. But even gods grow weary and tiresome of games."

"I'm not playing a game, Sephiroth. I'm trying to keep myself and my family alive."

He hissed at her, backing away to grab his sword. He stared at the dim light glinting off the blade for only a moment before whipping around and bringing it to her throat. Tifa jumped away, but he backed her against the wall with only a single stride.

"After 10 years…You have finally failed to please me." He said resting the tip of his sword against her collarbone.

Tifa looked him dead in the eyes, "Do it."

Sephiroth slowly pressed his blade into her, piercing her beautiful skin. But as he was about to thrust it through her, he quickly pulled back, slicing anew the old scar he'd given her.

Tifa gasped out, nearly shrieking as her blood spirted from the wound. It was deeper than before; he'd sliced down nearly to her bone. The blood spilled across her chest and down her body, creating a hefty puddle on the floor.

She clutched her hands over the cut, her knees shaking and nearly buckling. "Sephiroth…" She quickly and frantically scrambled for a potion and a materia from her bedside drawer.

"It will never heal." He reminded her, tasting the blood coating his blade. It was stark and metallic and yet so very sweet. "I'll not fulfill my destiny until after your death, whether natural or not. Until then, you will have that scar. You'll look at it every day and be reminded of how truly merciful I can be."

"Just kill me…" Tifa sobbed, pressing a towel against the wound.

"No. I want you to suffer with your guilt." He leaned in and caressed her hair.

"Then you aren't merciful at all."

"I will spare you and your family. What is more merciful than that?"

"To put yourself out of our misery."

"You're strong enough to withstand me…in more ways than one." He kissed the top of her head and vanished through the window.

Clutching the towel to her chest, Tifa staggered up the hall to the bathroom to inspect her wound and clean up the mess.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she finally lost it. Dropping to her knees, she began sobbing. She didn't care how loud she was or who heard. The kids – the teens – were with friends and so the only other soul in the house was Cloud. She hadn't heard the footsteps as he walked up the hall, only looking up when the door creaked open. Tifa barely made eye contact before dropping her head in shame.

Cloud said nothing as he scooped her up from the floor, placing her on the sink vanity. He quickly saw to her injury, grabbing their first aid kit from the cabinet. He kept his lips sealed as he carefully stitched her up, only speaking once he was done as she was cleaned of the blood.

"What the hell happened?" He tried to look into her eyes, but she only stared downward, shaking her head slowly. "Don't do that." Cloud narrowed his eyes at the scar. "I've been so careful for so long, not to mention this scar. You too, have been terribly careful to ignore it as well. Now I must know, what the hell is it?"

"It's a memento." She breathed.

"A memento…for what?" He said, pushing his hair back. "Did you do that to yourself?"

"No."

"Then who…No…" Cloud didn't want to imagine it, "Did your lover do it?"

When she didn't respond, he carefully wrapped his arms around her, holding her safe against his chest. "Why would he do this to you?"

"So I'll never forget how close I came to death." Her voice was stoic, resolved.

"What are you talking about?"

"Who do you think I'm sleeping with, Cloud?"

Cloud backed away from her, dropping his arms to his sides. "I hadn't wanted to think about it. But it can't be anyone I know…No friend of mine would do this to you."

"I only said you knew him…not that he was your friend." She jumped to the floor and looked at the scar in the mirror.

"Stop it, Tifa. Just talk to me. You've been acting really weird lately."

"I wanted to tell you from the beginning, I just didn't know how." She breathed deeply, trying to collect her thoughts. "I love you, Cloud. I don't want to hurt you." Tifa turned around, looking up into his eyes. She didn't want to say it, she just wanted to continue on as if nothing had happened. But she had to. "It's Sephiroth."

Cloud stared at her blankly. All the anxiety that he'd felt vanished in a single instant. His mind too, went completely blank. But then the realization that she actually said what he thought she said began to sink in. She had assumed that he'd be angry with her, that he'd fly off the handle and do something crazy. But he just turned away from her and walked back to his room.

"Cloud?" She followed him, trying to maintain what composure she had left.

He remained silent for only a moment, but it felt like forever. Her heart was hammering dangerously in her chest, keeping time with the sting of the angry wound.

"Cloud…"

"How could you do it, Tifa?" He finally said, his breath coming out in a dry wheeze. "How could you betray me with him?"

"I didn't – "

"Of all people, why him?" He turned back only halfway, unable to look at her. "Don't tell me you actually love him."

"No, I don't." But her answer wasn't good enough for Cloud.

"Then why? What is it?"

"He was going to kill me."

Cloud found the strength to look at her.

"He was going to rape and kill me, Cloud." She wrapped her arms around herself, realizing she was still naked. "He gave me two options. He said I could resist and die painfully, or I could cooperate and die without suffering."

"So you chose to cooperate."

"I wanted to tell you so badly, but I just…"

"If he was to kill you, then how are you still alive?" He began to tremble, half in fear, half in rage.

"He changed his mind about killing me because he enjoyed being with me. He told me that if I continued to satisfy his lust, then he'd let us all live."

"Why didn't you just tell me? I would have done everything to protect you."

"I was so ashamed."

"You were doing what you thought you needed to do to survive. There's no shame in that. But what is shameful is that you let it continue. You failed to tell me after the first offense and he kept coming back, and you let him. And you were enjoying it." Cloud suddenly felt so sick.

"That's the source of my shame. Even after the first time, I wanted him."

"I don't get it." He held his breath for a moment, fight to keep it together.

"I needed something in my life, Cloud. I was so goddamn bored, that when I was presented with some kind of drama, some danger, some forbidden secret…I blindly accepted it."

"That's it? You liked it because it was forbidden? It was naughty, so you just let it happen!"

"Cloud…"

"No, just stop." He clutched his head in his hands, trying to process it all.

"I've spent the last 10 years suffering him to protect you, Cloud."

"No." Cloud shook his head, chancing again to look into her eyes, "You've spent the last 10 years betraying me. And yet…somehow I knew."

"You knew?"

"When I first saw your scar, I realized how perfectly straight it was and how clean the cut was. I only ever knew one person with the skill to cut someone like that. I just didn't want to think it could be true."

"So what now, that I've confirmed your theory?"

"You're gonna get out of my room and go to yours." Cloud opened the door for her, "Don't talk to me unless I speak to you first. Don't even look in my direction. I don't even want you around my son."

Tifa's hair stood on end and she choked on her own heart, "He's my son too!"

Cloud slowly shook his head, an angry, saddened smirk working his lips, "We no longer share a family. Anything that we had together is gone. You destroyed it."

"So what am I left with?"

"Sephiroth."

Tifa blinked as a few tears dripped down her cheeks and she nodded in complete understanding.

* * *

Once back to her room, Tifa locked herself inside. She remained there until the next day. She sat beside the door, listening to Cloud as he moved about the house, she listened to the kids come home, and was surprised that she didn't hear Cloud tell them what happened. When they asked about her, Cloud only said she was sick and highly contagious, so they shouldn't bother her.

A kind lie, she supposed.

Her body ached for sleep, begged for food, and tensed with anticipation. She couldn't move from beside the door. She wanted to listen to the voices and movements of the people she loved most in the world, because this would be the last time she ever heard them.

"I love you…" She whispered as she heard each of them pass by. She knew Cloud's heavy yet graceful steps from Denzel's more awkward gait, and Marlene's light dancer like strides.

As the day began to wane, Tifa waited with a heavy heart for Sephiroth to return. As she watched the window, a small envelope slid under the door. She stared at it for an entire minute before inspecting it.

It was a card.

 _Thinking of You_ , the front of it read. She assumed the general store was all out of "Get Well Soon" cards.

She opened it.

Printed inside was the sentiment:

 _Though we cannot be together, I hold you in my heart forever._

She grimaced. It sounded like she was dead not sick. It didn't matter; it was unsettlingly fitting. Beside the printed rhyme were handwritten messages:

 _Hope you feel better soon! I'll take care of things in the bar until you're well again. Love Love Love! XOXO - Marlene_

 _Rest up and get well again soon, if there's anything you need just call. *kisses* - Denzel_

Cloud added no sentiment, he only signed his signature. He acknowledged her only for the sake of the kids.

Despite the pain it caused her, this card was suddenly her most precious and prized possession. She held it close to her heart as she waited for Sephiroth.

He arrived momentarily, stepping in and looked directly at her. "What are you doing there?"

"Saying goodbye." She approached him cautiously.

Sephiroth stared at her for a moment before resting his sword against the wall. "Cloud knows then, does he?"

"Can you read minds?"

"I can read meaning in words." He said, "What are you clutching?"

"A card from my family." She held it out to him. He took it gingerly and read the handwritten notes.

"Your children believe you're ill."

"Yes, that's what Cloud told them so they wouldn't come near me."

He gave it back to her, "So what do you suggest, now that you've lost it all?"

"I have nothing to live for. My life is ruined, just like I told you it would be."

"What gave me away?"

"What do you think?" She pointed at the scar on her chest. "He figured it out long ago, he said. He just didn't want to believe it was true."

"It must be unbearable to know that his nemesis is having sex with his wife on a daily basis." Sephiroth smiled deviously.

"You really are evil." She sighed.

Sephiroth watched her as she sat down on the bed. Her gaze was downcast, her bare skin prickled with goose bumps due to the winter chill, her hair falling around her in disheveled swatches.

"I know I am," he said finally. "I am the very definition of evil." He closed the window, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over her shoulders. "But I do feel. Though perhaps not as much, or the way you'd like me to."

The coat was warm from his body heat and she turned her nose into the lining to smell the scent he left behind. A strange earthy sort of musk, like a mix of sandalwood and eucalyptus. Her bed smelled like that until she washed the sheets, though she wished it would smell like that forever.

"Sephiroth, I'm ready."

"You want me to kill you."

"Yes."

Sephiroth lifted her chin, caressing her cheek and pushing her hair back. "I don't want to do it."

"Please, you love me don't you?"

"All the more reason to keep you alive."

"Please…please…"

Dropping his hand with a heavy sigh, Sephiroth took his sword from the wall. He brought the blade to her heart.

"You are sure?"

"I am."

 **THE END**

* * *

 **This was really really hard. I ultimately went with this because it was as quiet as the rest of the story. There had been suggestions by readers that Sephiroth should engage in battle with Cloud over Tifa's death or because Sephiroth himself wanted to die due to Tifa's ill feelings toward him. While these ideas could've worked, I felt they didn't quite fit with the over all toned down theme of the story. I left the ending here ambiguous as to whether or not Sephiroth actually did it or not because I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted it pan out, since I had several scenarios in mind. Initially, I was going to include a description of Tifa's death, but I couldn't decide if I wanted it bloody or not, then I couldn't decide if she was really going to die or if Sephiroth would fake her death and take her away with him. I left it with the affirmation of Tifa's resolve to die so you as the reader can use your imagination to fill in the gap. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!**


End file.
